Great newer restaurant in Natick Center, which, hopefully, will catalyze a revival of this otherwise moribund/burnt-out downtown area. Dora and Gabriel also own and operate the Farmhouse in Needham Center, a hopping place serving great food. They've managed to successfully repeat the formula with Buttercup. Kudos to them! read more

I really enjoy this restaurant, it's adorable and the food is great. A little pricey but definitely worth it. Reservations are strongly encouraged. read more

Farmhouse chic space that has outdoor seasonal seating and is good for date night or brunch with the girls. Food is pricey but worth it- the service and food options are top notch. Definitely check it out! read more

Great space and great service. Everyone I interacted with was very positive and it seemed like a happy place. Came specifically for two menu items no longer on the menu, which is fine, but there are very limited options for vegetarians, so I didn't have much of a meal. Gazpacho was delicious though. Carnivore companion had chicken and reported it was excellent. Would definitely return, but might call first next time to see if there are more than a few salads on the menu for vegetarians. read more

Enjoyed dining on the patio with delicious food and excellent service. Diver scallops were tender and Artichoke Char very tasty. Calamari appetizer was excellent. read more

Wow! Just got a call 8 minutes before my dinner reservation for two began to tell me it was cancelled (not even moved to a later) because it's sprinkling and they closed their outdoor area and can't accommodate us inside. The girl offered me take out instead. Too bad for them, we would have sat in the light rain and spent a bunch of money celebrating my husband's birthday but instead we are going to enjoy dinner at The Cottage in Wellesley and will never give Buttercup our business again :) read more

Fantastic food and ambiance. We ordered fish tacos-and they were ON! Salmon dish was expertly prepared and out of this world. Beautifully plated. Service excellent. Crisp clean and airy interior. Exposed brick and very high ceilings-yet acoustics were good. Reservation required on the weekends but we were seated promptly mid week. New local favorite! read more

Loved it! We ate outside and had the peach burrata for an appetizer & fish tacos for entrees and a couple other apps & shared dessert, and my friend had a cocktail. This was earlier in the summer and we sat outside which was lovely. I'm really excited to come back and check out their new acoustic redo because I'm not crazy about loud restaurants. The place is beautiful, the menu intriguing the service wonderful. Natick is lucky to have such a gem! read more

Went there for my birthday, love the atmosphere. Has a great vibe! The food was amazing! Had fish tacos. You can tell the food is fresh and dessert bread pudding to die for.. read more

Buttercup is a sister restaurant of the farm house located in Needham. The menu has favorites from the farm house but it's on original menu options as well. I've Had The Bolognese, the burger, and the steak that was a special on 6/26/18. Dora the owner is extremely cool can recognize me as a patron of the Farmhouse. Dora always makes everything speical. I really enjoy their patio area it's up front and get a view of Natick Center. Make sure to have a reservation on the weekend maybe during the week as well. read more

The wife and I finally got a chance to try Buttercup last week. Let me just be clear that I am giving it the 4th star only because the food itself is very good. So you might say why not 5 stars? Well two reasons, 1) the portions are small and 2) it is very expensive. 3 beers, 1 cocktail, 1 salad, 2 entrees $125 with tip expensive... no dessert, no sides, and no doggy bags (due to the small portions). But, Like I said earlier the food was VERY good. I live in Natick and like the rest of the town , dying for more and better restaurants downtown. The problem is I can't with any good conscience, patronize Buttercup on a regular basis. I mean do you really need to charge extra for fries if I order the fish tacos? And the bolognese was great only it was an entree the size of an appetizer for $25 bucks...really??!! So, unfortunately I will probably only go to Buttercup maybe three times a year, and continue to wait patiently for the local eatery that I can hang at 2-3 times a month that will have good food, with good portions and good prices. Peace and Love... Bye for now... read more

got take out tonight (we've been here few times before for dinner and always loved it) Pasta Bolognese A+ Beef short ribs A+ read more

I don't want anyone to know how good the food is because I want it all to myself. From the app, to the meal and dessert, all the food was incredible and so delicious. Would have been 5 stars but $14 for a bottle of Maine Beer was a bit of a sticker shock. Otherwise, perfect! Highly recommend and we'll absolutely be back. read more

Delightful. The arugula salad, calamari and salmon with pea and mint purée and fiddleheads was exactly right. And my spicy tequila cocktail made me so so happy. A little foodie. A little pretentious and I was all about it. read more

Been wanting to try this place, and finally got the chance to take my best friend out for her 30th. Servers were nice, but completely unable to answer any questions regarding the food, and the host came up to us 2x to ask if we had just arrived or not. I'm not sure if she needed the counter space or what, but we had a reservation and it was only 2 of us, so the experience was offputting. Also, I get it's a kitchen but if you're going to have an open concept, maybe refrain from berating your staff in front of guests over a slightly toppled ice cream scoop. Lastly, prices are way too much, if the food was prepared better I wouldn't mind but it was nothing special for $130+ for 2 ppl (2 apps, 2 drinks, and an entree). Not worth it. read more

I really want this place to make it, but the service needs a ton of work. Natick needs this place. The food was good, but the portions were small. We were sat at a table by the bar and could not even hear each other talk. Everything from the bar came very slow, but was good once we got it. We will give it a month and try again and hope they work it all out. read more

So I've been giving so leeway because of everything but for this review I just need to be straight forward. Five of us dined here last night and the only reason there are two stars being given is because the food wasn't terrible. When you have 5 people done out and your bill is over $450 you'd assume right away everyone drank themselves under the table or we got the most expensive entrees...not the case. The table got 3 appetizers, two entrees, a total of 6 drinks, a couple sides and the last 3 people ordered apps as their meals....for what they got that is an insane bill. Half the problem is the portion size, were not eating caviar here. Meals were small, apps were small and if the portion size is tiny then price is important. In what world can you charge $25 for three small fish tacos?!?!? Are these king midas's fish? Are they made of gold? Come on. For what you pay the food is just average and I get it fresh from farm to table but come on now. I could walk here in 5 minutes so it's convenient but we aren't on the wharf in the seaport so for prices of drinks and food definitely not worth it. You never want to leave a restaurant hungry or have to order 15 things to be full, portion size just unfair to the customer. read more

I went here on the opening week. It was packed and the service was still getting the kinks out. I wasn't blown away by the food. It is a bit pricy. I had a pasta dish, and a cheese plate. The pasta was good. But I found the cheese plate to be lacking. I will try it again and see if it gets any better. read more

Kind of agree/had same experience as reviewer: "So much potential, but some things are missing." You go to an establishment like this because of the food, which was composed of excellent ingredients, prepared very well with a beautiful presentation. A vegetarian risotto was hot and perfectly combined with very fresh, lightly sauteed vegetables. My daughter's short ribs were nicely braised in an unusual but delicious, non tomato-based sauce with really nice homemade pappardelle. Portions are "fashionably" small. For this you pay a dear if arguably justified price. What should be included in the not insignificant bill is service that equals the quality of the food. Our waiter was very inattentive, took a very long time to take our order after I actually alerted him we were ready to order. During the meal, he did not once inquire as to how the entrees were. My water glass went unfilled throughout 90% of the meal. Surprising to find this type of restaurant in downtown Natick. If they can beef up the service, it could make the leap to a destination type experience. Not quite there yet, based on our first visit. read more

Everyone has been raving about this place. We did not love it. Great bread. Service. Fried calamari was good, maybe too much batter I got duck which was a giant blob and not particularly seasoned. read more

We really enjoyed our dinner at Buttercup. The restaurant was recommended to us by a Natick resident (we are out of towners). We had to try twice to get in because they were all booked up the first try- so plan ahead. The place is fresh- white washed wood, open, up scale barn-feeling. We asked to sit outside because it is really loud inside. The outdoor seating is off the street but it was quiet, relaxed and we had great attentive service. The food was delicious. We had the cheese board (3 cheese, bread, honey, grapes and tiny tomatoes) and citrus and avocado soup to start. We shared the vegetable risotto and the Maine Halibut. The risotto was light and flavorful- not a heavy blob. Yum. The halibut was cooked perfectly and seasoned well - fennel, lemon white wine sauce. The meal was wonderful. I would definitely recommend it and I would ask for outside seating on a pretty night. read more

This was our first time to Buttercup. The online menu wasn't very interesting so I started at a disadvantage. The space is pretty and our service was good. Apps were tasty. Unfortunately our entrees were not great. The hangar steak meal looks like a big brown blob on the plate, poorly seasoned, with some of the accompanying potatoes charcoal briquette like. Scallops were cooked well, but again the accompanying purée wasn't seasoned properly. I would say that the duck was very good. We split a warm bread pudding with ice cream that we all enjoyed. Expensive for the quality of the food read more

We heard so many good things about buttercup that we decided to go and celebrate my husband's birthday. We had a reservation for 8pm and when we checked in our table wasn't ready and we were told it will take about another 15 minutes which we gladly said ok and headed to the bar area to have a drink. It took over 25 minutes and during this time nobody approached us with any appetizer or offered bread, nothing, until we asked if we can get something which at this point we were ready to seat down at our table. Service was pretty poor, the waiter was too nice to the point he was actually annoying. Another server put food on our table, two seconds later he realized it wasn't our food so he came and remove the dishes, which we thought at this point they should have left it on the table. We ordered wine, the server didn't know which glass belongs to whom. The food was good, but with poor service it takes away the enjoyment. At the end of the dinner we got our bill, which on the bill they charged us for the complimentary almonds and olives they served us. We called Dora the manger, she really isn't a manger material, she didn't know how to handle the situation and didn't seem sincere. The place has so much potential and we are in need for new place in this area. We will give it a second chance, so we can see if they take themselves seriously with constructive criticism. read more

Nice new place in the heart of town. Inside, outside dining. Was there with my family of 7. Food was mostly good and well prepared despite a somewhat limited selection and a light touch on the umami factor. Service seemed a bit harried, especially the scurrying around owner or manager. Kind of get 'em in get 'em out. Food/price ratio seem to border on the edge between generous and "is it worth it?". But overall enjoyable. read more

I tried this new upscale restaurant Saturday, food was wonderful and it is farm to table and it is a family ran business Husband and wife . The customers come first seems like everyone enjoyed themself . A must make reservation. Call early or day before to get a table it is. Mall restaurant but well worth the wait read more

Delicious food with good portions, farmhouse chic vibes. Very happy with our meal tonight. We got the appetizer special tuna tartar, followed by braised short ribs and special of seared scallops for entrees. The tartar is a can't miss. We will definitely be going back. read more

Buttercup is a welcome addition to Natick Center. Cocktails were well balanced and a good value. The food focuses on simple but flavorful menu choices. Both the chicken entree and vegetable risotto were well seasoned and satisfying. One suggestion: the crab avocado toast needed a little help - maybe a hearty seeded cracker or sourdough crostini instead of the slice of whole grain bread. Service was prompt and friendly and the prices in line with expectations. Highly recommended! read more

Just checked out the new Buttercup in Natick. When we eyed the beautiful squash blosoom appetizer served next to us, we ordered as well. Sadly, the plate was not nearly as nice as the plates served next to us. As an appetizer to share, we had a total of 2-1/2 squash blossoms and at $14, we were robbed. I ordered the flank steak and it was very overcooked. I should have sent it back, but I didn't. It was delicious, but overcooked. The Tres Leches was perfection in a bowl! We will give Buttercup a second chance. Service needs work. Didn't receive bread until we received the appetizer and the 2nd drink order placed after the appetizer, wasn't received until dessert! Big faux pas there! Great spot and they certainly have potential, but need to work on a few bugs! read more

Been to Buttercup 3 times now - twice for dinner and once for a private event. All visits have been delicious. They are very accommodating to gluten and dairy sensitivities and the food was excellent. Only feedback is that they seem to have put more tables in and you sit very close to your neighbors. #lovethyneihbor read more

Let me start off by the saying that the food here is excellent. For example, I don't love fish tacos but Buttercup made me a believer they did them so well. The atmosphere is cozy and well done. They have candles on every table. The prices are steep however, and the main room is loud. It's hard to have an intimate conversation in there. If they would put candles on the outdoor tables it would be a near perfect summer destination with the added quiet, but the outdoor tables need some ambience. I would add some potted plants and string lights as well... Overall, definitely worth a visit though and a great addition to Natick center! read more

Did not stay and eat. Did not look like they were open yet. Disorganized and owner was really rude so I left.

Cool restaurant and atmosphere! Loved the food and wait staff. Only thing I didn't like was the cheese board. Barley enough to feed two people and all the options on the board were awful. Go for the fired pickles instead lol. read more

Had a fantastic meal at Buttercup. Cocktails were awesome...especially the watermelon cooler. Terrific server made the experience even more enjoyable. Street corn app was delicious and worth the messy fingers. Lobster napoleon was light and perfect for a summer night. Others couldn't pass up the beef short ribs with fresh pasta...both loved it. Fish tacos were grilled to accommodate a gluten allergy which was very much appreciated...also delicious Ended with a shared apple/peach crumble with homemade ice cream...again fabulous Can't wait to go back read more

I've been a huge fan of Buttercup and its sister restaurant in Needham since they opened. They've both been the scene of many fine dinners and special memories over the years. When I wanted a break from cooking this week yet wanted something different for a special date night, I ordered take out from Buttercup's "Side Hustle" (love the name!). Ordered a half loaf of sour dough bread, 2 beet & ricotta salads, 2 Mac & Cheese with pancetta and 2 butterscotch puddings with toffee bits (which I was seriously excited about!). All in with tip, my break from cooking cost me just over $100. The bread was excellent - absolutely perfect. The beet & ricotta salad was fresh and very good. It was larger than it appeared in the small take out container. I plated it over a small bed of arugula for presentation. The Mac & cheese was tasty but the sauce separated so the delish pasta wound up swimming in a pool of butter and grease from the pancetta. The portions were kid size. The butterscotch pudding - which was the driver for the order was, sadly, burnt. The portion for the puddings was enormous. Each container was 2+. This was inconsistent with the portions for everything else (and anything ever served at Buttercup over the years) and now makes me think they knew if was burnt and were trying to get rid of it. One of the two containers for the minuscule (seriously small -less than a teaspoon) dollops of whipped cream for the pudding looked scraped out. Like someone had eaten from it and threw it in our bag rather than the trash. Thankfully, I had whipping cream at home - so I whipped some up to save dessert -- only to find it a waste of time and cream as the pudding was completely inedible. I can absolutely appreciate how difficult it is for restaurants to pivot to take out. I'm happy to support restaurants through this time and we do take out at least once a week. Here, the clear lack of quality control was simply disrespectful to the paying customer. The "they won't notice because they're not eating on site" mentality harkens back to when my friends and I were in high school and worked the busy summer nights at the takeout window of the ice cream shop. We only wanted to get through the night. We didn't care if the customers got what they paid for or how it tasted. Buttercup isn't run by 16 year olds. Someone ought to be paying closer attention. read more

Bravo to the staff and management for this fantastic addition to Natick Center. We joined friends for dinner on a Wednesday (make reservations) and were treated to fantastic service and an excellent dining experience. Our group ordered the short ribs entrée, fish tacos and a chicken dish -- the presentation was beautiful and each dish was prepared creatively. Delicious! Couldn't resist sharing a dessert after such a great meal. Congratulations to Dora and Gabriel, nicely done! read more

Bought into the hype and booked it for an anniversary dinner but was very disappointed with the food. Great setup for outdoor dining but that was it. The food was expensive and very plain. I ordered a $32 scallop dish that had 6-7 randomly sized scallops on a puree of sweet potato and corn. For that price I would expect some decently sized sea scallops and some interesting accompaniments but this was bad airline food with scallops instead of chicken. We had a 6 pm dinner reservation and were told that the kitchen had run out of fried chicken (not some exotic ingredient mind you, chicken, an hour after the restaurant opened for dinner). My wife had the fish taco which again were an extremely plain, basic presentation that one would get at a tex-tex restaurant. We paid $175 for dinner for two without having dessert, and I would have expected to pay about $100 less for the quality of the food that we ate. I know restaurants are going through tough times, but I expected so much more given what people were raving about. read more

We celebrated my birthday dinner on Friday night. 7 of us, 3 generations, all thought it was fantastic! The big table, seasonal centerpiece, nice lighting. Very nice space! The menu has something for everyone. Each plate was presented beautifully - colorful and appealing. We tried: fried pickles, marcona almonds, delicata and kale salad, short ribs, halibut, lamb, risotto, and fish tacos. All of it was yummy! Nice wines too. Jordan and his team of servers were nice, attentive, but not intrusive. The only thing I would change - they waited to take drink orders until our whole party arrived. I would have liked my drink sooner. Still, 5 star worthy and I look forward to going back! read more

We have been to all of the comparable local spots multiple times and this place is BY FAR the best in the area. Variety of dishes with quality ingredients and not over extended, really fun seasonal cocktails, beautiful presentation, sophisticated but relaxed/casual and lively atmosphere. Great service. We will be back many times! So happy to have this place near by. read more

The ambience inside is very nice, not too noisy for the height of the ceilings. Menu options were diverse enough and interesting combinations. My biggest complaint is the amount of SALT added to every dish. It's over powering and smothers the potential flavors that could be enjoyed from the ingredient combinations used. My experience with restaurants that oversalt their food is that they are lacking in something else and try to overcompensate by over salting their dishes. So what is Buttercup lacking? Experience or confidence? read more

A nice addition to Natick Center!! Really loved the atmosphere and the menu had good variety. Food was delicious. All that said, I'm giving a 4-star review (vs 5) because some of the portions were skimpy. I ordered a glass of wine and even my dinner companion commented that the pour seemed short. At $14 a glass you really do want to make sure you are pouring adequately. This was followed by the cheese plate. Again, delicious... but we were very much left wanting more with just thimble-size portions. Please do take a moment to review your serving sizes... I'm not asking for family style, but do want to have more than a sip or bite. We will be back... may just need to order a cheese plate per person (and maybe switch it up for a cocktail) ;) read more